Atheists Become More Visible and Vocal in Zambia

..Zambia is a very religious nation... officially declared a Christian nation by President Federick Chiluba in 1996.. Eighty seven percent of the population is Christian and only twelve percent profess other faiths. The number of non-believers is too low to measure. Apparently, Zambia is 100 percent religious and theistic.

But recently, the country’s religious demography has begun to change. Atheists are leaving their closets and are starting to organise. Atheists in Zambia are becoming assertive and are making their voices heard. They are standing up and identifying as atheists in public. An atheist group has just been formed in Zambia and a Facebook page has been created. It is called the Atheists in Zambia. This group is the first of its kind in the country and signals a bright and promising future for freethought in this Southern African country.

Some important points -

#Organized atheism is a new phenomenon in Zambia.

#The internet has made organization and mobilization easier.

#There is pressure for atheists in Africa to remain in the closet, for family reasons and safety.

#Zambia is highly superstitious. Many believe in witchcraft.

#Recently there have been reports of witch killing, the killing of Satanists, of albinos and the murder and mutilation of persons for ritual purposes.

I find it inspiring that there are courageous people in places like Zambia, advocating for rational thought. In Africa, that's amazing.